ant witness gave evidence this afternoon at the adjourned
inquest held at Scarnham on the body of Mr. Frederick Hollis, solicitor,
of London, who was recently found lying dead at the bottom of one of the
old lead-mines in Ellersdeane Hollow. It will be remembered that the
circumstances of this discovery--already familiar to our
readers--allied with the mysterious disappearance of Mr. John Horbury,
and the presumed theft of the Countess of Ellersdeane's jewels, seem to
indicate an extraordinary crime, and opinion varies considerably in the
Scarnham district as to whether Mr. Hollis--the reason of whose visit to
Scarnham is still unexplained--fell into the old mine by accident, or
whether he was thrown in.

"'At the beginning of the proceedings this afternoon, a shepherd named
James Livesey, of Ellersdeane, employed by Mr. Marchant, farmer, of the
same place, was immediately called. He stated in answer to questions put
by the Coroner, that on Monday morning last he had gone with his
employer to an out-of-the-way part of Northumberland to buy new stock,
and in consequence of his absence from home had not heard of the
Scarnham affair until his return this morning, when, on Mr. Marchant's
advice, he had at once called on the Coroner's office to volunteer
information.

"'Livesey's evidence, in brief, was as follows: At nine o'clock last
Saturday evening, he was walking home from Scarnham to Ellersdeane by a
track which crosses the Hollow, and cuts into the high road between the
town and the village at a point near the Warren, an isolated house which
is the private residence of Mr. Gabriel Chestermarke, banker, of
Scarnham. As he reached this point, he saw Mr. John Horbury, whom he
knew very well by sight, accompanied by a stranger, come out of the
Hollow by another path, cross the high road, and walk down the lane
which leads to the Warren. They were talking very earnestly, but Mr.
Horbury saw him and said good-night in answer to his own greeting. There
was a strong moonlight at the time, and he saw the stranger's face
clearly. He was quite sure that the stranger was the dead man whose body
had just been shown to him at the mortuary.

"'Questioned further, Livesey positively adhered to all his statements.
He was certain of the time; certain of the identity of the two
gentlemen. He knew Mr. Horbury very well indeed; had known him for many
years; Mr. Horbury had often talked to him when they met in the fields
and lanes of th